Travel guide
A Sahara Desert Tour in Morocco: What to Expect, What to Pack and Is It Worth It
A long drive, one night in a camp among the dunes and an early start the next day. This guide describes what actually happens on our desert tours, using only what our current itineraries state, and what to pack for it.
In this guide
Where the tour actually goes
Two places are sold as "the Sahara" from Marrakech. Merzouga, on the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes near the Algerian border, is where all our desert tours spend the night apart from the two-day Zagora trip; its dunes rise to about 150 m. Zagora, closer to Marrakech, has smaller dune fields and fits a two-day trip. From Fes, the desert road leads to Merzouga.
The difference is set out in Merzouga or Zagora, and the village, dunes and weather are covered in our Merzouga and Erg Chebbi guide.
Getting there is most of the trip
From Marrakech our tours split the outbound drive over two days with a night in the Dades Gorges, and the shortest loop drives back in one long day. From Fes the distance is short enough for an overnight in the dunes with a return the next day.
Expect to spend the morning of the desert day in the car: the camel ride comes in the late afternoon. The road from Marrakech, stop by stop, is in our Marrakech to Merzouga distance guide.
Arrival: tea and the camel ride at sunset
You reach Merzouga in the afternoon and, on several itineraries such as the two-day trip from Fes, you're met with mint tea before the ride. A camel for each traveller is listed among the inclusions of our desert itineraries, and the ride into the dunes is timed for the sunset: the two-day Fes trip takes you to a viewpoint about 40 minutes before sundown, and the five-day Fes to Marrakech tour stops where the light is best for photos.
Where our itineraries give a length for the ride, it's about an hour and a half (the eight-day Marrakech to Fes, nine-day Casablanca and five-day Fes to Marrakech tours). Long trousers and closed shoes make the saddle and the sand more comfortable. If you want more than the ride to the camp, our camel trekking programmes add days in the dunes.
What happens to your luggage
You don't take a suitcase to the camp. On our camel programmes your car and large bags are stored in the village and you carry a small bag with what you need for one night. The tour pages don't say where luggage stays overnight on the loop itineraries, so ask when you book. Either way, pack the small bag before you reach Merzouga, because the ride follows soon after you arrive.
The camp and the night
The camp is a Berber tent camp among the dunes. Dinner is included on 38 of our 40 tour pages (the two fossil tours say "meals as per the plan"), and most itineraries describe the evening the same way: a traditional Moroccan dinner, then drums and Berber music around a fire, and the stars.
Ask before you book
Our pages don't describe the tent itself: nothing about bathrooms, hot water, electricity, Wi-Fi or bedding. If any of those matter to you, ask when you book rather than assume.
The night is colder than the day suggests: at Merzouga the modelled January average low is about 6 °C, and the Errachidia weather station 120 km north averages 2.0 °C, so from November to March you sleep in your layers.
Standard or luxury camp?
Most of our pages describe a Berber tent camp among the dunes; the three-day Marrakech loop calls it a luxurious tent, the six-day loop a deluxe tent and the Fes tours a well-equipped tent. Only the eight-day Marrakech to Fes tour offers a choice between a standard and a luxury camp. The evening is the same in all of them; what differs is the tent and its facilities, which the pages don't define.
Guests have reported specific things at specific camps, such as beds, toilets and hot showers on the five-day Agadir tour and Wi-Fi on the nine-day Casablanca tour. Those are reports from one night at one camp, not features of every camp, so ask when you enquire.
Sunrise and the next morning
Many itineraries mention the sunrise over the dunes; on the two-day Fes trip the camp staff wake you for the dawn. Breakfast follows, included on the same 38 pages as dinner. Then you either ride the camels back to Merzouga and drive on or, on tours with a full desert day, stay around the dunes: a 4×4 day with Khamlia's Gnawa musicians, or visits to nomad families.
Sandboarding appears on eleven of the forty itineraries, so treat it as a possibility rather than a fixture. Quad bikes and buggies can be hired locally at Merzouga but are never included.
Is it worth it?
Yes, if the dunes are the point
Nothing else on a Morocco trip looks like Erg Chebbi at sunset. The night, with the drums, the cold and the stars, is what people remember. It's the sequence, not any single part, that justifies the driving.
Think twice if…
- you only have two days and would rather see a city;
- nine hours in a car for one night feels like a poor trade;
- June–September heat or December–January cold would spoil it.
Then Zagora, closer and with a smaller desert, is the honest alternative.
What to pack and what to wear
Pack for two climates in one day. Merzouga's modelled averages:
| Months | Afternoon high | Night low |
|---|---|---|
| December – February | — | 6–8 °C |
| April & October | about 30 °C | 16–17 °C |
| June – September | 37–43 °C | 24–29 °C |
Month-by-month figures for the desert and the cities are in Morocco weather by month.
Packing checklist
- A warm layer for every night from October to April
- Something warm to sleep in
- Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- A scarf for wind and sand on the ride
- Closed shoes and long trousers
- A small bag for one night
What our itineraries include
Included on almost every tour
- Pick-up and drop-off
- English- or Spanish-speaking driver
- Accommodation
- 4WD vehicle with fuel
- Breakfast and dinner
- A camel for each traveller
Only on some tours
- Mint tea on arrival (4 tours)
- Sandboarding (11 tours)
- A shower at camp next morning (5 tours)
- 4×4 day around Erg Chebbi
- Standard or luxury camp choice (8-day tour)
Not included
- Lunches
- Monument fees
- Travel insurance
- Drinks
- Tips
Not stated anywhere on our site: toilets or bathrooms in the camp, hot water, electricity, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, private tents, bedding or sleeping bags, special diets, facilities for children and accessibility. Ask before you book if any of these decide it for you.
Private or shared?
Private. Every tour we run is operated for your party alone, with a dedicated driver, and you aren't combined with other travellers. Private doesn't change the camp: the itineraries describe a Berber tent camp, not one reserved for you, so ask when you enquire if that matters. Our private tours page explains the rest.
Choosing a tour
Start with two questions: how many days you have, and which city you start in.
The shortest round trip from Marrakech is the three-day Marrakech to Merzouga tour, and from Fes the two-day Fes to Merzouga trip; tours from Tangier also reach Merzouga by way of Fes. Every desert itinerary on our site includes a camel for each traveller; they differ in how many days they spend getting there and whether they add a full day in the desert. If the dunes are the point of the whole holiday, you can stay on for more days in the dunes after any of them.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to ride a camel?
A camel for each traveller is part of the desert itineraries, and the ride is how you reach the camp. If riding is a problem for you, tell us when booking so the arrangement can be discussed.
How long is the camel ride?
About an hour and a half on the itineraries that state a duration (the eight-day Marrakech to Fes, nine-day Casablanca and five-day Fes to Marrakech tours). The others don't give a length.
How cold is the desert at night?
Merzouga's modelled average lows are about 6 °C in January, 7 °C in December and 8 °C in February, rising to 16–17 °C in April and October; the Errachidia station averages 2.0 °C on January nights. Summer nights stay at 24–29 °C.
Are there showers at the camp?
Showers aren't standard. Five itineraries mention a shower at the camp the next morning; the others don't say, and none describes hot water, toilets or electricity. Ask when booking.
Can children do a desert tour?
Families who want to ride camels or camp in the Merzouga desert are welcome to get in touch. We don't state age limits or child facilities, so tell us your children's ages before booking.
Is one night in the desert enough?
For the sunset, the camp and the sunrise, yes; that's what the two- and three-day itineraries give. A second night, or a full desert day, is what the longer loops add for the 4×4 excursion, Khamlia and the nomad visits.
How much does a Sahara desert tour cost?
We don't publish a fixed price list. Each trip is quoted individually through the enquiry form on the tour page, for your dates and the number of people travelling, and the quote states what's included.